आरोग्यदायी आणि पर्यावरण पूरक दिवाळी

 

आरोग्यदायी आणि पर्यावरण पूरक दिवाळी

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भारतात अनेक सण साजरे केले जातात, त्यापैकी दिवाळी हा एक प्रमुख सण आहे. दिवाळी हा भारतीय संस्कृती जपणारा धार्मिक दिव्याचा उत्सव आहे. जी दिवाळी जीवनाचा अंधार दूर करून प्रकाशाचे अस्तित्व निर्माण करते, जेथे दिवा मांगल्याचे प्रतीक मानले जाते. म्हणूनच आपण दीप उत्सव साजरा करतो.

दिवाळीत वापरणाऱ्या खास मातीच्या पणत्या त्यातून निघणाऱ्या सुगंधातून किटाणू आणि विषाणू संपवून वातावरण शुद्ध होते, तसेच नकारात्मक ऊर्जा संपते. आजमितीला कोरोनाच्या होणाऱ्या प्रादुर्भावामुळे दिव्याच्या तेलामध्ये लवंग टाकली तर वातावरणातील शुद्धता वाढते. दिव्याच्या रोषणाईने बाहेरून येणारे प्रभावी किरणे रोखली जातात व आसमंतात दूषित परिणाम थांबवता येतात.

दिवाळी म्हणले, कि दिवाळी चा फराळ आणि नवनवीन मिष्टान्नाचा ओढा सगळीकडे असतो. आपण दिवाळीत एकमेकांना मिष्टान्नाची दिवाण-घेवाण करून आनंद द्विगुणित करत असतो. अशा पदार्थाच्या सेवनातून काही विकार व काही प्रमाणात अन्न विषबाधाही होऊ शकते. त्यामध्ये प्रामुख्याने वापरण्यात येणारे तेल, खवा, साखर यामधील भेसळ हेच प्रमुख कारण आहे. आता आपण जाणून घेऊ वेगवेगळ्या पदार्थातील भेसळ:

1.  चांगल्या प्रतीच्या अन्नधान्य आणि इतर मालाची गुणवत्ता कमी करणे म्हणजेच भेसळ. विक्री करावयाचा कोणताही उत्तम प्रतीचा माल (त्यात इतर पदार्थ मिसळून, किंवा त्यातील कार्यकारी घटक काढून) तो कनिष्ट प्रतीचा करून तो चांगल्या प्रतीचाच असल्याचे दर्शविणे, यास भेसळ करणे असे म्हणतात. अशी भेसळ करण्यामागे जास्तीचा अधिक नफा मिळविणे हाच प्रमुख हेतू असतो.

2.  दैनदिन जीवनात आहारातील विविध अन्न पदार्थांना गोडवा देण्यासाठी सर्वात उपयुक्त घटक म्हणजे साखर. बाजारात साखर, गुळ, मध असे विविध गोडवा आणणारे घटक उपलब्ध आहेत. परंतु या सर्वांमध्ये हि आपणाला भेसळ आढळते. साखर हि दररोज वापरण्याजोगी वस्तू मानली जाते, परंतु तरीही आपल्याला मानवी सुरक्षेसाठी त्याची गुणवत्ता आणि भेसळ याची खात्री करावी लागेल. साखर आणि इतर गोडवा देणारे घटक मुख्यत: कन्फेक्शनरी (Confectionary) क्षेत्रासाठी उपयुक्त आहेत.

अश्याप्रकारच्या भेसळयुक्त गोड पदार्थात रसायने टाकण्याची हि शक्यता असते. यामुळे शरीराला नानाविध अपायकारक विकार जसे कि, यकृताचे विकार, पोटदुखी, अन्नातून विषबाधा, उलट्या, डोकेदुखी, मळमळ उद्भवू शकतात. त्यामुळे आपणाला वेळीच भेसळ ओळखता आली पाहिजे, जेणेकरून आपले शरीर स्वस्थ राहील. सामान्यपणे गोडवा आणणाऱ्या पदार्थात खडू पावडर, धुण्याचा सोडा, पिवळा रंग, युरिया, पांढरी वाळू, दगड, मेटॅनिल अशा विविध घटकांची भेसळ केली जाते.  यासाठी विश्वसनीय दर्जाची आणि चांगल्या गुणवत्तेचीच गोडवा आणणारी घटके अन्न पदार्थात वापरली पाहिजे. 

3.  सर्व प्रकारची मिष्टान्ने बनवण्यासाठी तेलाचा वापर केला जातो. साधारणतः असे आढळून येते कि, सुटे विकल्या जाणाऱ्या तेलापेक्षा पॅकिंग करून विक्रीला आलेल्या तेलामध्ये भेसळीचे प्रमाण कमी असते.

4.  दूध आणि खव्यामध्ये सुद्धा भेसळ आढळून येते. यात असे नमूद करावे वाटते कि, दुधात फक्त पाण्याचीच भेसळ नसून युरिया, सोडियम, स्टार्च  यासारखे घटक रसायने वापरतात. खव्यामध्ये स्निग्धांश विरहित दूध वापरले जाते व तसेच स्टार्चचीही भेसळ केली जाते. 

5.  साधारणतः असे पाहिले जाते कि, अन्नधान्यामध्येहि भरपूर प्रमाणात भेसळ केली जाते. त्यात प्रामुख्याने बाह्य पदार्थ जसे कि खडे, माती, लोखंडाचा चुरा, निकृष्ठ धान्य आदी मिसळले जाते.

पर्यावरण पूरक दिवाळी:

आज आपणाला विचार करावयाची वेळ आली आहे कि, दिवाळी हि खरोखरच अंधार दूर करते कि वाढवते. याला कारण म्हणजे हा सण लहानांपासून ते मोठ्यापर्यंत साऱ्यांना आवडते कारण यात नवीन कपडे, फराळ आदि आणि अजून एक आकर्षण म्हणजे फटाके.

फटाके लहान मुलांना आकर्षित करतात, तेच फटाके कितीतरी जणांना इजा पोहचवतात. यामुळे मंगलपूरक वातावरणात द्रुष्ट लागू नये म्हणून वेळीच काळजी करायला हवी. मोठ्या आवाजातील फटाके बनवण्यास अनेक रसायनाचा उपयोग करतात त्यात सोडियम मेटल, पोटॅशिअम नायट्रेट, अलुमिनिम पावडर, झिंक मेटल यांचा वापर केला जातो. यापासून हवा, पाणी, माती प्रदूषणाची हि समस्या उद्भवते. सांगायचे झाले तर, दिवाळी दरम्यान हवेच्या प्रदूषणामध्ये १०% वाढ होते, यामुळे श्वसनाचे विकार, घशाची खरखर, दमा, खोकला यांचा प्रादुर्भाव वाढतो.

फटाक्यांच्या आवाजाने ध्वनी प्रदूषण हि होते. फटाक्याने वाढणारी आवाजाची पातळी १२५ dB पेक्षा जास्त असते. प्रामुख्याने ८० ते १३० dB च्या आवाजाने तात्पुरता बहिरेपणा येतो, तसेच १५० dB पेक्षा जास्त आवाजाने कानाचा पडदा  फाटणे,कर्ण बधिरता, रक्त दाब वाढणे, मानसिक ताण आदींचा प्रादुर्भाव वाढतो.

आरोग्य हीच संपदा: धार्मिक कार्यातून आरोग्य समृध्द होण्याची प्रार्थना आपण करत असतो. पण या आधुनिक विश्वात समतोल आहार, राहणीमान, आचार विचार, आवडी-निवडी यांची सांगड घालणे अतिशय आवश्यक आहे.

आपणाला पर्यावरण पूरक आणि आरोग्यदायी दिवाळी साजरी करावयाची आहे. जेणेकरून, दिवाळी साठी महिन्याभरापासून जी, साफसफाई करतोय, तो स्वछ सुंदर परिसर राखण्याचा तसेच मांगल्याचे वातावरणात नवीन उत्साहाने प्रफुल्लित होऊन आपली दिवाळी साजरी होईल. ज्यात कोणतीही आरोग्य तसेच पर्यावरण हानी होणार नाही, जी अंधःकारामध्ये प्रकाशमान विजयी असा पाच दिवसांचा असा हा दिवाळी सण ज्यात सकारात्मकता वाढो. सर्वाना आरोग्यदायी दिवाळीच्या हार्दिक शुभेच्या.

 

Crop Insurance Schemes

CROP INSURANCE

Agriculture in India is highly susceptible to risks like floods, drought and others. So it is necessary to protect the farmers against natural calamities. Due to that, GoI introduced many schemes throughout the country. Prof. V. M. Dandekar often referred as Father of Crop Revolution in India.

“Crop Insurance is the scheme purchased by agriculture producers to protect themselves from heavy losses due to natural calamities and to stabilize the farm business during the period of crop failure”. 

General Objectives for Crop Insurance:

These are the general objectives adopted by the different crop insurance schemes.

1.   To protect the farmers against loans suffered by them due to crop failure.

2.   To fight against natural calamities such as drought, flood, cyclones, fire etc.

3.   To provide the required credit to farmer for season.

Different Crop Insurance Scheme:

In October 1965 the Government of India decided to introduce a Crop Insurance Bill and a Model Scheme of Crop Insurance in order to enable the States to introduce crop insurance if they so desired. In 1970, the draft Bill and the Model Scheme were referred to an Expert Committee headed by Dr. Dharm Narain.

There after flow of schemes continues to till today. These are enlisted below and their features are discussed in Table.

1.   First Crop Insurance Scheme, 1972

2.   Pilot Crop Insurance Scheme, 1979

3.   Comprehensive Crop Insurance Scheme, 1985

4.   National Agriculture Insurance Scheme (NAIS), 1999

5.   Agriculture Insurance Company of India Limited (AIC), 2003

6.   Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna (PMFBY), 2016

Table: Different Crop Insurance Scheme

No	Scheme	Est. Year	Objectives or Coverage	Features
1.	First Crop Insurance Scheme	1972 Gujarat	Insurance of cotton, wheat and potato	It is based on Individual Area Approach. Upto 1978-79 covered only 3110 farmers with premium of Rs. 4.54 lakhs against claims of 37.88 lakh. So not successful
2.	Pilot Crop Insurance Scheme	1979	The scheme covered cereals, millets, oilseeds, cotton, potato, gram and barley. It covers 13 states with 6.27 farmers.	V. M. Dandekar Suggests Homogenous Area Approach. GIC & state government shared risk in the ratio of 2:1. The scheme a Premium of  Rs. 1.97 cr. against Claims of  1.57 crore
3.	Comprehensive Crop Insurance Scheme (CCIS)	1985	It was implemented on Homogeneous Area approach and was linked to short-term crop credit. It covers 15 states and 2 Union Territories (UT).	Premium & Claims were shared by Central & State Government in 2:1 ratio. The Scheme was optional to State Governments. Drawback of the scheme out of total claims ₹16.23 billion, Gujarat alone received ₹7.92 billion for one single crop, groundnut. It is replace by NAIS.
4	National Agriculture Insurance Scheme (NAIS)	1999	To provide insurance covered and financial support to the farmers during calamities, pests & diseases. To encourage the farmers to use progressive farming practices and higher technology in Agriculture. It covers 25 states & 2 UT.	Scheme is available to all farmers irrespective to their holding size. It covers all food crops such as cereals, pulses, oilseeds and others. Premium rates vary from 1.5 to 3.5%. It operates on the basis of area approach and no upper limit of insured amount.
5.	Agriculture Insurance Company of India Limited (AIC)	2003	To provide financial security to persons engaged in agriculture and allied activities. It covers 500 districts with 20 million farmers. To help in stabilizing farm incomes. Head office is at New Delhi.	It includes Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (WBCIS). It is under administrative control of Ministry of Finance, GoI. Initial paid up capital was Rs. 200 Cr. and contributed by GIC (35%), NABARD (40%) and 4 Public sector banks (35%: 8.75% each) Authorized share capital was Rs. 1500 Cr.
6.	Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna (PMFBY)	2016	To provide insurance coverage and financial support to the farmers in the event of crop failure.	The scheme covers Kharif, rabi crops as well as annual commercial and horticultural crops. In addition to yield loss, it covers post harvest losses also.

PRADHAN MANTRI FASAL BIMA YOJNA (PMFBY)

In January 2016, NDA Government has launched a new crop scheme called Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna (PMFBY) or Prime Minister’s Crop Insurance Scheme. It will replace NAIS and Modified NAIS. The new scheme will come into force the Kharif season starting in June this year. The theme of the scheme is ‘Minimum Premium, Maximum Insurance to Farmers’.

          The new insurance scheme would cost the government Rs 8,800 crore over the next three years, assuming that 50 per cent of farmers are covered. At present, with 23 per cent insurance cover, the Centre spends Rs 3,100 crore a year on crop insurance. The insurance amount covered will also not be capped and so also the premium rates.

Objectives:

1.   To provide insurance coverage and financial support to the farmers in the event of failure of any of the notified crop as a result of natural calamities, pests & diseases.

2.   To stabilize the income of farmers to ensure their continuance in farming.

3.   To encourage farmers to adopt innovative and modern agricultural practices.

4.   To ensure flow of credit to the agriculture sector.

Implementation Agency:

The Scheme shall be implemented through a multi-agency framework by selected insurance companies under the control of the

ü  Department of Agriculture,

ü  Cooperation & Farmers Welfare (DAC&FW),

ü  Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW),

ü  Government of India (GOI) and

ü  The concerned State in co-ordination with various other agencies like Financial Institutions (Commercial Banks, Co-operative Banks, RRB’s), Government Departments (Agriculture, Co-operation, Horticulture, Statistics, Revenue, Panchayati Raj etc.)

Crops Covered:

The scheme covers Kharif, Rabi crops as well as annual commercial and horticultural crops. For Kharif crops the premium charged would be up to 2% of sum insured and for Rabi it is 1.5% of sum insured. For annual commercial and horticultural crops premium will be 5%.

Insurance:

There would be One insurance company for whole state. Private insurance companies join hands with Agriculture Insurance Company of India Limited (AIC) to implement this scheme.

Losses covered:

In addition to yield loss, it covers post harvest losses also. It also provides farm level assistance against different calamities.

          At the same time Losses arising out of following conditions shall be excluded. Certain examples are War & kindred perils, nuclear risks, riots, malicious damage, theft, grazed and/or destroyed by domestic and/or wild animals, In case of Post–Harvest losses the harvested crop bundled and heaped at a place before threshing, other preventable risks.

Use of Technology:

Scheme recommends mandatory use of remote sensing, smart phones for quick estimation of losses suffered to process the claims further.

Other Features:

The scheme aims to bring 50% farmers under purview of it within next 2 to 3 years. About 25% of the likely claims will be settled directly on farmers account. It prescribes only one premium rates for each season for all foodgrains, oilseeds and pulses etc.

Comparison with earlier crop insurance scheme:

1.   It is optional to loanee and non-loanee farmers and open to all farmers.

2.   It set lowest premium so far in insurance scheme. (Premium rate is lower than the NAIS).

3.   It provides full coverage of insurance.

4.   Also covers localized risks such as landslide, inundation etc. For first time inundation has been included.

5.   Covers post harvest coverage. NAIS did not cover it, while modified NAIS cover only for coastal regions.

6.   Only one premium rate per season.

7.   Use of technology is mandatory in it.

Some of the General Insurance companies provide crop insurance scheme are as follows.

1.   Agriculture Insurance Company of India Ltd.

2.   IFFCO-Tokio General Insurance Co. Ltd.

3.   Tata AIG General Insurance Co. Ltd.

Elasticity of Demand | Price Elasticity of Demand

Price Elasticity of Demand

Demand is defined as a schedule that shows the amounts of a product or service the consumers are willing and able to purchase at each price during specific time and specific market.

According to Bowden, “Demand is the propensity of the consumers to buy different quantities of a particular good at different unit prices”.

Here, desire and ability to buy are the key components of demand whereas time and market are two requisites. In this article we are trying to take a look about Elasticity of demand, Types of Price elasticity of demand and certain importance for the same.

ELASTICITY OF DEMAND:

“Elasticity of demand is a tool that measures the responsiveness of the quantity demanded of a good to its price”.                                                                                   OR

“Elasticity of demand is the relative change in quantity demanded to the relative change in the price”.

Types of Elasticity of Demand:

1.    Price Elasticity of Demand

2.    Cross-Price Elasticity of Demand

3.    Income Elasticity of Demand

1.   Price Elasticity of Demand: It shows the responsiveness of quantity demanded to change in price with others factors being constant (i.e. Ceteris- paribus). Ceteris Paribus is a Latin term which means that Except Demand and price all other things like Income, Trends, Population, Scarcity, Season etc. will remain the same.

2.   Income Elasticity of Demand: It shows the responsiveness of quantity demanded to change in consumer income (%), with others factors being constant (i.e. Ceteris- paribus includes price of commodity, price of substitutes, tastes, preferences etc.)

·         Income Elasticity is equal to unity or one when the proportion of income spent on a good remains the same even though income has increased (E_I=1).

3.   Cross Elasticity of Demand: It shows the change in demand for one commodity due to change in price of other related commodity.

These may act as substitutes or complements; when fall in the price of one good increases demand for another good and vice versa.  Cross elasticity of demand can be used to indicate boundaries within industries. The cross elasticity of complementary goods is positive and that between substitutes, it is negative.

DEGREES OF PRICE ELASTICITY OF DEMAND:

In general sense, increase in price brings about a decrease in demand but this is not same in all goods. X axis represents Quantity of product whereas Y axis represents Price of the product. Elasticity of demand differs with different commodities. From the same commodity elasticity of demand differs from person to person.

Based on the magnitude of elasticity of demand it is further divided into five categories.

1.    Perfectly Inelastic Demand

2.    Perfectly Elastic Demand

3.    Relative Elastic Demand

4.    Relative Inelastic Demand

5.    Unitary Elastic Demand.

1. Perfectly Inelastic Demand: Here it is stated that, ‘No Matter what the price of the good is the demand will be the same’. The price of commodity may increase or decrease, the quantity demanded remains the same. Hence elasticity of demand is zero.

There is no change with concern to quantity demanded with respect to increase in price. Hence it is known as perfectly elastic in nature.

Ex.: Salt, water and Life saving drugs.

Therefore, Ed=0.

2. Perfectly Elastic Demand:  Here, a fractional change in the price may bring about huge change in the Quantity of demand’. Here, the demand is hypersensitive and the elasticity of demand is infinite. Demand curve is horizontal line and parallel to X-axis.

This concept is typically theoretical one and can be applied in only some of the competitive market. Here, the product is homogeneous in nature. It clearly depicts that a slight change in price would stop the demand.

Ed =Infinity

Ex.: Bread, Tea, Wada pav.

3. Relative Elastic Demand: ‘Small change in price of the commodity makes drastic change in quantity demanded’.

A small proportionate fall in price is accompanied by a larger proportionate increase in demand and vice versa. Hence Elasticity of demand is greater than unity. It is somewhat more practical application for different products.

Here Ed >1

Ex.: Vaccination, Mode of travel, Medicines etc.

4. Relative Inelastic Demand: ‘Phenomenal change in price will not make change in demand’. A large proportionate fall in price is followed by a smaller proportionate increase in the quantity demanded and vice versa.

Hence elasticity of demand is less than unity. Here Ed <1.  

Ex.: Niche market, Jewelry, Luxurious goods.  

5. Unitary Elastic Demand:   ‘Here, the Percent change in quantity demand on price will be proportional if price increases’. It means a given proportionate fall in price is followed by the same proportionate increase in demand and vice versa.

Change in demand and change in price of the product remains same. Hence Elasticity of demand is one.

Here Ed =1.

All the types of Elasticity are represented in the following Figure. The graph shows demand curve where, X axis is quantity demanded and Y axis shows prices. Following is the indication of the all types of elasticity’s.

·         DD₁: Perfectly Elastic Demand

·         DD₂: Elastic Demand

·         DD₃: Unitary Elastic Demand

·         DD₄: Inelastic Demand

·         DD₅: Perfectly Inelastic Demand

IMPORTANCE OF ELASTICITY OF DEMAND:

The importance of elasticity of demand is categorized into two bases i.e. practical and theoretical one.

Practical Importance of Elasticity of Demand:

1.   Taxation:

2.   Determination of wages

3.   International Trade

4.   Monopoly Price

5.   Increasing Returns

6.   Poverty in Plenty

7.   Elasticity of Promotional Activity

8.   Effect on the Economy

Theoretical Importance of Elasticity of Demand:

1.   Price Determination

2.   Price Discrimination

3.   Measuring degree of Monopoly Power

4.    Boundary between Industries

5.    Market Reforms

6.   Theory of Distribution

7.   Classification of goods as Substitutes and Complements:

Substitute – ‘A good that can be used in place of another good’.

Complement – ‘A good that is used in conjunction with another good’.

Reference Video:

Link: 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDul7uf7pcbM_kWCEaA9WvA